Bakery fats

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns bakery doughs or batters comprising the conventional ingredients, wherein, however, the fat applied displays: a SAFA content of less than 40 wt. %; an N20 (unstab., NMR pulse) of &gt;/=10, while the triglyceride composition is: S2U=5-50 wt. %; (U2S+U3)&gt;35 wt. %; S3=0-37 wt. %, S being saturated fatty acid C14-C24; U being unsaturated fatty acid C18+.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/530,278, filed Sep. 1, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,938 which was the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP94/00429, filed Feb. 14, 1994.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bakery doughs and bakery batters that can be used for the preparation of such bakery products as cakes, cookies, croissants, loaves, breadrolls, biscuits, puff pastries etc. are products containing fat, water, flour and optionally eggs and such leavening agents as yeast as the main ingredients.

Conveniently, these products comprise about 5-80 wt. % of fat, 0-50 wt. % of water, 0-30 wt. % of egg, 0-15 wt. % of leavening agent, 0-40 wt. % of sugar, 0-4 wt. % of salt and 20-80 wt. % of flour.

The fats applied so far in these products are triglyceride compositions having a fairly high SAFA content. SAFA content is defined as the weight ratio of the total of saturated and trans-fatty acid residues taken as the total of all fatty acid residues present in the fat. Normal SAFA levels of dough or batter fats are 50 wt. % or more. In such laminate fats as are applied for the production of puff pastries or croissants, the SAFA levels are even higher, i.e. at least 60 wt. %.

In the present trend towards healthier bakery products, there is a great demand for doughs and batters in which a healthier fat is present, while the baking performance of the products should remain as good as that of the high SAFA products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

We have now found fat-compositions that can be applied in bakery doughs or batters, resulting in lower SAFA products while the properties of the baked products are at least similar to those of the higher SAFA products.

Therefore, our invention concerns bakery fat compositions, comprising a mixture of triglycerides of the type U₃ ; S₂ U; U₂ S and S₃ in amounts of:

5-50 wt % S₂ U

at least 35 wt % (U₂ S+U₃)

0-37 wt % S₃

which fat compositions display a SAFA content of less than 35 wt % and an N₂₀ (unstabilised, NMR-pulse) of at least 10 and which fat compositions contain less than 5 wt % of trans-fatty acids, wherein S means saturated or trans-fatty acid residues with 12-24 C-atoms and U means mono (cis) or polyunsaturated fatty acid residues with at least 18 C-atoms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The above compositions are novel over the fat compositions disclosed in EP 268 431. According to this document, migration inhibitors for baked food products contain at least 10 wt % of a di-saturated mono-unsaturated mixed triglyceride, wherein at least one fatty acid residue among the three constituent fatty acids thereof is a saturated fatty acid with 20-24 C-atoms. From the examples it can be calculated that the fat compositions have a SAFA level of at least 37 wt %. The fats are not applied as a dough fat, but as a migration-inhibitor for foods-containing oleaginous ingredients. According to EP 218 277 edible water-in-oil emulsions comprising 15-75% of a fat phase are known, wherein the fat has the following solids profile:

N₅ -N₁₅ =30-70;

N₂₀ =15-35;

N₃₀ =2-16;

N₃₅ =0-10

the balance up to 100% consisting of an aqueous phase, containing 5-60% of a soluble humectant, comprising at least one polyol.

The emulsions can be used as reduced fat bakery-emulsions, in particular for cake batters. According to the examples the fats comprise soybean oil (17%); palm oil (20%), hardened soybean oil 36° C. (13%) and hardened fish oil 39° C. (50%). The fats have an N₂₀ =29 and an N₃₀ =10. Our compositions are substantially free of hardened fats (maximum trans-content of 5 wt %), while its SAFA level is restricted to at most 35 wt %. Moreover, our compositions do not comprise a humectant.

In WO 91/09533 an all-purpose plastic shortening is disclosed, wherein the fat, however, contains at least 45 wt % of trans acids.

Our invention further concerns bakery dough or batter comprising 5-80 wt. % of fat, 0-50 wt. % of water, 0-30 wt. % of egg, 0-15 wt. % of leavening agent, 0-40 wt. % of sugar, 0-4 wt. % of salt and 20-80 wt. % of flour, wherein the fat is a mixture of triglycerides, which mixture displays:

a SAFA content of less than 40 wt. %, preferably less than 35 wt. %;

an N₂₀ (unstab., NMR pulse) of at least 10, preferably at least 15, more preferably 15-50, most preferably 20-30,

the triglyceride mixture comprising at least triglycerides of the U₃, S₂ U, U₂ S and S₃ type, which triglycerides are present in amounts of:

S₂ U=5-50 wt. %, preferably 14-25 wt. %;

(U₂ S+U₃): >35 wt. %, preferably 45-90 wt. %;

S₃ =0-37 wt. %, preferably 1-20 wt. %,

wherein

S means saturated or trans-fatty acid residues having 12-24 C atoms, preferably 18-22 C atoms;

U means mono(cis) or polyunsaturated fatty acid residues having at least 18 C atoms, preferably C_(18:1) or C_(18:2) ;

SAFA content is the total of saturated and trans-fatty acid residues taken over the total of all fatty acid residues (wt/wt);

N₂₀ is the Solid Fat Index at 20° C., measured according to NMR pulse, unstabilized.

Furthermore, it was found that the N₃₀ (unstab., NMR pulse) of the fat mixture also has an impact on the product performance. Fat mixtures displaying an N₃₀ (unstab., NMR pulse) of less than 20, preferably less than 15, more preferably less than 5 have been found to give excellent results.

The fats applied in our doughs and batters are low in SAFA. However, preferred fats are also low in trans-fatty acids. It is preferred that the fat mixture should contain less than 5 wt. %, preferably less than 1 wt. %, of trans-fatty acid residues.

The fats that can be applied are suitably obtained from chemical or enzymic interesterification, optionally followed by fractionation of 1) a hardened fat selected from the group consisting of hardened palm oil, hardened rapeseed oil, hardened high stearic rapeseed oil, hardened sunflower oil, hardened soybean oil or hardened cottonseed oil and 2) a liquid oil selected from the group consisting of groundut oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, maize oil, cottonseed oil, high oleic sunflower oil and olive oil.

If the fats are obtained by enzymic interesterification, optionally followed by fractionation, it is preferred to apply fats obtained from the interesterification of a liquid oil having an (SU₂ +U₃) content of at least 35 wt. %, preferably at least 70 wt. %, and a saturated fatty acid having 12-24 C atoms.

Thus, in this case the reactants are a fat and a free fatty acid. It should be noted that the free fatty acid can also be replaced by a free fatty acid ester, in particular one derived from alcohols having 1-6 C atoms

If the fats are obtained from enzymic interesterification of two fats, it is preferred to use a fat obtained by enzymic interesterification, optionally followed by fractionation, of 1) a liquid oil selected from sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, olive oil, maize oil and 2) a triglyceride composition having an S₃ content (S=saturated fatty acid having 12-24 C atoms) of at least 50 wt. %, preferably at least 80 wt. %.

The fat mixture applicable in our doughs and batters is, however, preferably a blend of components A, B and C, wherein

A contains >50% SUS triglycerides, preferably >70 wt. %;

B contains >25 wt. % of S₃ triglycerides, preferably >40 wt. %;

C contains more than 40 wt. % of (U₂ S+U₃) triglycerides, preferably >60 wt. %,

A, B and C being present in amounts of

10-60 wt. % of A;

0-30 wt. % of B, preferably 2-25 wt. %;

35-90 wt. % of C.

In particular, fat mixtures wherein fat A has a weight ratio (C₁₈ +C₂₀ +C₂₂): C₁₆ >0.25, preferably >5, more preferably >15 are applied.

Although many examples of fat A can be given, a preference is expressed for the use of cocoa butter or cocoa butter substitutes, e.g. shea stearin, palm oil mid-fraction, illipe, mixtures of these as fat A. Enzymically made cocoa butter equivalents or fractions thereof, either per se or admixed with the above-mentioned natural fats, can be applied as well.

Very suitable fats are those having a relatively high content of at least one of the following triglycerides BOB; BlnB; AOA; AOB; AlnA (A=arachidic acid; B=behenic acid; O=oleic acid).

Fats A that have particular advantages, e.g. because their caloric value is even less than that of the above-mentioned fats, are fats A that contain 5-30 wt. % of C₂₂ fatty acid residues.

Examples of such fats are enzymically made fats obtained by enzymic conversion of 1) a fully hardened high erucic rapeseed oil or fully hardened fish oil and 2) a liquid oil, such as sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, soybean oil, maize oil, olive oil.

Fats B are preferably obtained from the fractionation of palm oil as top fraction. Palm oil stearin obtained in that way is a natural fat that contains about 75 wt. % of S₃, its SAFA value being about 80%.

Other examples of fat B are fully hardened vegetable fats, e.g. hardened rapeseed oil of melting point 70° C.; hardened palm oil of melting point 58° C.; hardened soybean oil of melting point 65° C., hardened cottonseed oil, hardened groundnut oil or hardened corn (or maize) oil. Very suitable hardstocks are those rich in (H₂ M +M₂ H) triglycerides, H being saturated fatty acid having 16-24 C atoms, M being saturated fatty acid having 8-14 C atoms.

Fats C are fats that are very low in SAFA (e.g. 10% for sunflower oil) and are therefore applied in order to lower the SAFA level of the blend of fats A and B. Typical examples of fats C are fats selected from the group consisting of sunflower oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil olein, high-oleic sunflower oil, high-oleic rapeseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, groundnut oil, olive oil or cottonseed oil. However, also enzymically made fats high in BOO, Blnln, BlnO, AOO, Alnln or AlnO can be applied as fat C. It is surprising to find that these fats C, which are often liquid, can be applied in fat mixtures suitable for bakery doughs or bakery batters.

Typical examples of fat compositions that can be applied are given in Table 1.

                                      TABLE I                                      __________________________________________________________________________     Component                                                                        Fat BOB StOSt BlnB BOO StOO Blnln O                                                                              .sub.3 Ln.sub.3 % SAFA N.sub.2o            __________________________________________________________________________     1         7         80    13   31.3 19.6                                         2  5  60   35  23.3 19.8                                                       3 8    80  12  32.0 21.6                                                       4 6.5   48.5   45  20.5 19.7                                                   5   14   68  18 32 24.3                                                        6   14   60  26 29.3 20.9                                                      7 1  7 38  25 15 14 26.3 23.2                                                  8  50     50  33.3 47.0                                                        9 8    82  10  32.7 25.1                                                       10 6   50   44  20.7 19.5                                                      11 2  8 37  20 17 16 25.7 25.3                                                 12 11    80  9  34.0 34.6                                                      13 7   60   33  24.7 33.0                                                      14   20   50  30 30.0 28.5                                                     15   13   86  1 37.3 34.7                                                      16   8 40  20 15 14 27.3 31.5                                                __________________________________________________________________________

Natural (vegetable) fats often contain some amounts of triterpene alcohol esters (TTAE). However, the use of fats low in these compounds is preferred. Therefore, our fat mixtures preferably contain less than 3 wt. %, preferably less than 0.5 wt. %, of triterpene alcohol esters.

Our invention also concerns such bakery products as cakes, cookies, croissants, loaves, breadrolls, biscuits or puff pastries made of a dough or batter, at least partly consisting of the dough or batter as described hereinbefore.

EXAMPLES

1. Two Fat Blends were Prepared By Mixing of the Components.

Blend I consisted of:

30 wt. % of shea stearin (=fat A);

65 wt. % of sunflower oil (=fat C);

5 wt. % of palm oil stearin (=fat B).

Fat A was characterized by:

Stearic content=61 wt. %;

Palmitic content=3 wt. %;

SUS content=90 wt. %;

SAFA content=70 wt. %;

TTAE=about 0.5 wt. %.

B was characterized by:

S₃ content=75 wt. %;

SAFA content=80 wt. %.

Fat C was characterized by:

SAFA content 10 wt. %. ##EQU1## The SAFA content was 31 wt. %. Blend II consisted of:

30 wt. % of palm olein -37 (fat D);

70 wt. % of wet-fractionated palm oil olein (fat E).

Fat D was characterized by:

Total SAFA+trans-content=85 wt. %.

Fat E was characterized by:

SAFA content=40 wt. %. ##EQU2## The SAFA content was 52 wt. %. 2.1 Biscuits Were Prepared, Using the Following Recipe:

    ______________________________________                                                     wt. %                                                              ______________________________________                                                 Fat   29.75                                                              Water 5.25                                                                     Sugar 22                                                                       Eggs 2                                                                         Flour 41                                                                             Salt trace                                                                100                                                                         ______________________________________                                    

2.2 Process

Preparation of fat

1. The components were blended at abt. 50° C.;

2. The fat was cooled from 50° C. to abt. 8° C., with constant stirring, until a homogeneous mass had been obtained.

3. The fat was transferred to a container and stored in the refrigerator overnight.

Comments

The SHs/SF/POs blend had a very plastic texture which kept its structure when left to stand at room temperature.

2.3 Preparation of Biscuits

1. The fat and the sugar were mixed thoroughly, followed by addition of salt.

2. Water and eggs were added and blended in.

3. Flour was added and mixed in until a dough had formed.

4. The dough was allowed to firm in the refrigerator.

5. The dough was worked to give biscuits.

6. The dough was baked at 175° C. for 20 minutes.

Biscuits were made, using fat blend I and fat blend II.

2.4. Evaluation

Both biscuits were presented to an expert taste panel, who found them to have:

1. good texture

2. good snap

3. good aroma

4. good flavor release

The SHs/SF/POs biscuits were slightly harder and were less crumbly than the reference (=fat blend II).

3. Preparation of a Puff-Pastry

3.1 Preparation of the Fat:

A fat blend with the following triglyceride composition was made:

    ______________________________________                                         BOB                   12.5 wt %                                                  BOO  5.0 wt %                                                                  StOSt 17.5 wt %                                                                Palm oil stearin 10.0 wt %                                                     Sunflower oil 55.0 wt %                                                      ______________________________________                                    

The above blend was made from an enzymically-made BOB-rich product (containing 73% of BOB); an enzymically-made BOO-rich product (containing 61% of BOO); an StOSt-rich proudct (84 wt % of StoSt); palm oil stearin and sunflower oil. The blend was plasticized by cooling. It displayed the following characteristics:

    ______________________________________                                                N.sub.20  (not stab.)                                                                          24.5                                                      N.sub.30  (ibid.) 18.5                                                         N.sub.35  (ibid.)  5.6                                                       ______________________________________                                    

Its main fatty acid components were:

    ______________________________________                                         C.sub.16:0            12.4 wt %                                                  C.sub.18:0 13.2 wt %                                                           C.sub.18:1 25.0 wt %                                                           C.sub.18:2 36.8 wt %                                                           C.sub.22:0 10.7 wt %                                                           trans fatty acids  0                                                           SAFA 37.8 wt %                                                               ______________________________________                                    

Its main triglyceride components were:

    ______________________________________                                         SSS                7.6                                                           SOS 27.7                                                                       OSS 2.0                                                                        SLS 3.5                                                                        SOO 6.3                                                                        OOO 45.3                                                                     Total:          U.sub.2 S                                                                             13.3                                                       S.sub.2 U 33.5                                                                 U.sub.3 45.3                                                                   S.sub.3 7.6                                                                 ______________________________________                                    

3.2 Preparation of Puff-Pastry

A dough was made according to the following recipe:

    ______________________________________                                                         gram wt %                                                      ______________________________________                                         patent flour      500    39.1                                                    fat 425 33.2                                                                   water 350 27.3                                                                 salt 5 0.4                                                                   ______________________________________                                    

The fat is mixed with the flour manually (according to the "Dutch" method). This mix is cut in cubes of about 1 cm.

The cubes are mixed with water in a Hobart mixer at low speed (45 sec). The dough is rolled to a thickness of 2 cm and folded to obtain rectangular dough pieces of 4 layers. This rolling and folding is repeated six times. Puff-pastries were baked from the dough (18 min at 220° C.). The puff-pastries displayed good sensory characteristics (according to a sensory test panel evaluation). The lift of the pastries was 17.0 mm (average from 12 measurements). 

We claim:
 1. A fat mixture comprising a mixture of triglycerides, which mixture displays:a SAFA content of less than 40 wt. %; an N₂₀ (unstab., NMR pulse) of at least 10, the triglyceride mixture comprising at least triglycerides of the U₃, S₂ U, U₂ S and S3 type, which triglycerides are present in amounts of:S₂ U=5-50 wt. %; (U₂ S+U₃): >35 wt. %; S₃ =1-20 wt. %,wherein S means saturated or trans-fatty acid resides having 12-24 C atoms; U means mono (cis) or polyunsaturated fatty acid residues having at least 18 C atoms; SAFA content is the total of saturated and trans-fatty acid residues taken as the total of all fatty acid residues (wt/wt); and N₂₀ is the Solid Fat Index at 20° C., measured according to NMR pulse, unstabilized.
 2. A fat mixture according to claim 1, wherein the fat mixture displays an N₃₀ (unstab., NMR pulse) of less than
 20. 3. A fat mixture according to claim 2 wherein N₃₀ is less than 15 and the fat mixture contains less than 1 wt. % of trans-fatty acid residues.
 4. A fat mixture according to claim 1, wherein the fat is a fat obtained by chemical or enzymic interesterification, optionally followed by fractionation, of 1) a hardened fat selected from the group consisting of hardened palm oil, hardened rapeseed oil, hardened sunflower oil, hardened soybean oil and hardened cottonseed oil and 2) a liquid oil selected from the group consisting of groundnut oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, maize oil, cottonseed oil, high oleic sunflower oil and olive oil.
 5. A fat mixture according to claim 1, wherein the fat is a fat obtained by enzymic interesterification, optionally followed by fractionation, of a liquid oil having an (SU₂ +U₃) content of at least 35 wt. %, and a saturated fatty acid having 12-24 C atoms.
 6. A fat mixture according to claim 1, wherein the fat is obtained by enzymic interesterification, optionally followed by fractionation, of 1) a liquid oil selected from sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, olive oil, maize oil and 2) a triglyceride composition having an S₃ content (S=saturated fatty acid having 12-24 C atoms) of at least 50 wt. %.
 7. A fat mixture according to claim 1, wherein the fat mixture contains less than 5 wt. %, of trans-fatty acid residues.
 8. A fat mixture according to claim 1, wherein the fat mixture contains less than 3 wt. %, of triterpene alcohol esters (=TTAE).
 9. A fat mixture according to claim 1 in which triglycerides are present in amounts of:S₂ U=14-25 wt. %; (U₂ S+U₃)=45-90 wt. %; and S₃ =1-20 wt. %,wherein S has 18-22 C atoms, U is C_(18:1) or C_(18:2) and N₂₀ is at least
 15. 10. A fat mixture, comprising a mixture of triglycerides selected from U₃ ; S₂ U; U₂ S and S₃ in amounts of:5-50 wt % S₂ U at least 35 wt % (U₂ S+U₃) 0-37 wt % S₃ which fat composition displays a SAFA content of less than 35 wt % and an N₂₀ (unstabilised, NMR-pulse) of at least 10 and which fat composition contains less than 5 wt % of trans-fatty acids, wherein S means saturated or trans-fatty acid residues with 12-24 C-atoms and U means mono (cis) or polyunsaturated fatty acid residues with at least 18 C-atoms.
 11. Fat mixture according to claim 1, wherein the fat mixture is a blend of components A, B and C, whereinA contains >50% SUS triglycerides, B contains >25 wt. % of S₃ triglycerides, C contains more than 40 wt. % of (U₂ S+U₃) triglycerides,A, B and C being present in amounts of 10-60 wt. % of A; 0-30 wt. % of B; 35-90 wt. % of C.
 12. Fat mixture according to claim 11, wherein fat A has a weight ratio (C₁₈ +C₂₀ +C₂₂):C₁₆ >0.25.
 13. Fat mixture according to claim 11, wherein fat A is a shea fraction, illipe, a fat having a high content of at least one of the triglycerides, BOB, AOA; AOB; (B=behenic, A=arachidic, O=oleic) or a cocoa butter equivalent.
 14. Fat mixture according to claim 11, wherein fat A is obtained by enzymic conversion of (1) a fully hardened, high erucic rapeseed oil or fully hardened fish oil and (2) a liquid oil such as sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, soybean oil, maize oil, olive oil.
 15. Fat mixture according to claim 11, wherein fat B is selected from a palm oil stearin fraction, a hardened palm oil of melting point 58° C., a hardened rapeseed oil of melting point 70° C., or a hardstock rich in (H₂ N+M₂ H) fats, H being saturated fatty acids having 16-24 C atoms, M being saturated fatty acids having 8-14 C atoms.
 16. Fat mixture according to claim 11, wherein fat C is selected from the group consisting of sunflower oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil olein, high-oleic sunflower oil, high-oleic rapeseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, groundnut oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil or enzymatically made fats high in BOO, AOO, contents. 